Automatic car-coupling



(No Model.)

w. PERSELL & R. NBWLEE. AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING. No. 545,305. PatentedAug. 27, 1895.

257 ZtZama? UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-ion.

\VILLIAM PER-SELL AND BEDMAN NEVVLEE, OF NELLSVILLE, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,305, dated August27, 1895.

Application filed May 21, 1895- Scrial No. 550,146- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it Judy concern.-

Be it known that'we, WILLIAM PERSELL and REDMAN NEWLEE, of the city ofWellsville, county of Montgomery, State of Missouri, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Couplings,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention relates to an improved automatic carcoupling; and itconsists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of our improved coupling,the same being shown in its proper bearings and relative to the carbody.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken approximately onthe indicated line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview taken approximately on the indicated line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is avertical cross-sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line4 l of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of a pivoted block located inthe draw-head of our improved carcoupling. Fig. 6 is a view inperspective of one of the plates located upon the side and rear end ofthe draw-head. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of a plate located on therear end of the draw-head.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 1 indicate timbersthat are located upon the under side of the car-body, and the innerfaces of said timbers are provided with metallic plates 2. Formed inthese timbers 1 and plates 2 are horizontally-aligned slots 3.

& indicates the draw-head of our improved coupling, the same beingconstructed with a recess 5 in its rear end.

6 6 indicate metallic plates that are let into the sides of the rear endof the draw-head, and said plates are provided with notches 7 andlongitudinal slots 8, that coincide with the slots 3, formed in thetimbers 1 and plates 2. Tongues 9 are formed on the forward ends of saidplates 6 and extend into recesses formed in the sides of the draw-head.The ends 10 of these plates 6 are bent inwardly and overlap each other,and said ends 10 are the link-recess 21.

provided with coinciding apertures 11 in'their centers and rectangularnotches 12 in their top and bottom edges. A rectangular metallic plate13 is provided with a centrally-arranged aperture 1 1, that coincideswith the apertures 11, and said plate 13 is provided withlaterally-projecting tongues 15, that extend through the rectangularnotches 12. A plunger 16 is positioned within the recess 5 in the underside of the draw-head, and said plunger is constructed with a lateralprojection 17, that passes through the aligned apertures 14 and 11 inthe plates 13 and 6. A horizontally-arranged slot 18 is formed in thisplunger that is in direct horizontal alignment with the slots 8 in theplate 6 and theslots '3 in the side timbers 1. A bar 19 is located insaid aligned slots, and a coil-spring 20 is located upon the body of theplunger 16, between the bar 19 and the ends of the plates in the rear ofthe plunger. By this construction' slight longitudinal movement isallowed the entire draw-head.

Formed in the forward end of the drawhead is an ordinary link-recess 21,and passing vertically through the forward end of said head'is avertical bore or passage 22, through which the pin passes. Passingvertically through the head directly in the rear of this aperture orpassage 22 and to the rear of the link-recess 21 is a bore or passage23, that communicates with a recess 24, formed in and extending upwardlyfrom the bottom of the head of the draw-bar. Formed in said head on eachside of this vertical passage 23 and communicating with the link-recess21 and the lower face of the head are vertical recesses 25. The lowerportions of the recesses 24 and 25 are formed into a single recess 26.

27 indicates a block the entire forward portion of which is bifurcatedand formed integral with the walls formed by this bifurcation, andextending forwardly and upwardly is a pair of arms 28, that extend intothe forward ends of the recesses 25, and a pin 29 is passed throughapertures formed in the forward ends of these arms 28 and throughapertures formed in the forward end of the draw-head above Thus saidblock and arms are pivoted in the recesses 24 and 25. Said block 27 isnot wide enough to fill said recesses. Therefore it is capable of aslight vertical movement. A tongue or lug 30 is formed integral with theupper end of the block 27 and projects into the recess 24. A bar 31,having an inclined lower end 32, is arranged to move vertically throughthe vertical'passages 23, and formed integral with the upper end of saidbar 31"is a block 33, that extends forwardly over the pin-aperture 22.Passing through the aperture formed in the forward end of this block 33is a pin 34:, that passes through the vertical aperture 22. The block 33is provided with an upwardly-extending lug 35 at its rear end, and a pin36 is passed through said lug 35 and through the rear end of anoperating-lever 37, that is pivoted to the end of the car-body in aplane slightly above the draw-head. I

The operation is as follows: Previous to makinga coupling between twocars equipped with our improved coupler the operator bears downwardlyupon the outer end of the lever 37, and this movement raises the block33, carrying the bar 31 and pin 34:. As the lower end 32 of the bar 31passes above the body of the block 27 said block will fall to itslowermost limit of movement and the inclined lower end 32 of said bar 31will rest directly upon the inclined forward face of the body of theblock 27 and in the recess 24. The lower end of the pin 34. will, withthis movement, have been drawn into the pin-aperture 22 above thelink-recess 21. The coupler is now set and in position to receive thelink carried by the coupler located upon the approaching car. Said linkin the opposite coupler will enter the link-recess 21 in the usualmanner, and in so doing will strike against the lower edges of theforwardly-projecting arms 28, and as said link moves rearwardly in thelinkrecess 21 said arms and the entire block 27 will be raised in therecesses 2a and 25. As soon as said block 27 is raised a distancesufficient to allow the bar 31 to pass through the vertical aperture 23said bar will, by reason of its weight and the weight of the block 33,drop to its lowermost position, and with said movement the pin 34: willpass downwardly through the pin-aperture 22 and through the link, whichhas now passed into the link-recess 21. Thus a coupling is effected.

To uncouple two cars equipped with our improved coupler the operatorbearsdownwardly upon the outer end of the lever 37, and the block 33,carrying the bar 31 and pin 34:, is drawn upwardly. The link is now freeto move out of the link-recess and the coupler is set to make the nextcoupling.

A coupler of our improved construction is entirely automatic during theact of coupling, is so arranged as that the operator does not have to gobetween the cars in effecting a coupling or uncoupling, and said couplerpossesses superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, andgeneral efficiency.

lVe claim 1. In an improved car coupling, a pair of timbers fixed to theunderside of the body of the car, a draw-head arranged between saidtimbers, said draw head having a recess formed in its rear end, amovable pin or plunger located in said recess, plates located in andlying flush with the sides of the draw- 1 head, a bar extendingtransversely through slots formed in the parallel timbers, the drawheadand the plunger, and a coil-spring interposed between saidbar and therear ends of the plates. a

2. In an improved oar coupling, a pair of timbers lying parallel witheach other and fixed to the under side of the car body, plates locatedupon the inner faces of said timbers, a draw-head arranged between saidtimbers and having a recess formed in its rear end, plates located inand lying flush with the sides of the rear end of the draw-head, therear ends of said plates being turned inwardly to overlap each other, anend-plate arranged and held upon said overlapping ends of the plates, aplungerlocated in the aper ture of the draw-head and having its endpassed through the end-plate and overlap ping ends of the side-plates, abar passing transversely through the parallel timbers, draw-head, platesthereon and plunger, and a coil-spring interposed between said bar andthe end-plate.

3. In an improved car coupling, a drawhead havingthe ordinarylink-recess formed in the forward end thereof and having a pair ofvertical passages through the forward end of said draw-head and havingrecesses formed in and extending upwardly from the under side of saiddraw-head, a block having a bifurcated forward end pivoted in saidrecesses, a bar arranged to move vertically through one of said verticalbores or passages, a block formed integral with the upper end of saidbar, a coupling-pin carried by the forward end of said block and passingthrough the remaining one of the vertical passages, and an operatinglever attached to said block for raising and lowering the same.

4. In an improved car coupling, a drawhead having the usual link-recessformed in the forward end thereof and having a pair of verticallyarranged passages formed through the forward end of the draw-head, saiddrawhead being also constructed with a pair of vertically arrangedrecesses extending upwardly from its under side, a block having abifurcated forward end, arms formed integral with and extending forwardfrom the bifurcated forward end of said block, said block being pivotedin the vertical recesses in the under side of the draw-head, avertically arranged bar passing through the rear one of In testimonywhereof we afiix our signathe vertical passages, the same resting upontures in presence of two witnesses.

the block when the device is uncoupled, a \VILLIAM PERSELL. block formedintegral with the upper end of REDMAN NEWLEE.

5 said bar, a coupling pin carried by the for- Witnesses to signature ofVilliam Perseli: ward end of said block and arranged to move MAUDGRIFFIN, V in the vertical pin-aperture or passage, and JOHN G. HIGDON.an operating hand-lever pivoted to the rear Witnesses to signature ofRedman Newiee: end of the block and fulerumed to the end of JAMES L.BARKER,

to the ear-body. S. M. BARKER.

